英語圏言語文化演習 - 文学部 - 東京大学授業カタログ

英語圏言語文化演習

This course considers British humour with a primary focus on literature in context. The British sense of humour is often understood to be somehow different from that of American or Japanese people. This might be true, but how and why is this the case? This seminar thus explores the evolution and history of humour in Britain, from the Middle Ages to the present day. Along the way, students will gain an understanding of the cultural background. Sources examined include plays, poems, songs, novels, television, radio, and film.

The class will allow students to work in small groups and by themselves. The aim is to allow them to learn to understand and interpret various types of text, as well explore the difficulties inherent in humour as both translatable across cultures, and a genre for analysis.

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Week 1: Defining categories: innuendo, black humour, everyday life, satire, sarcasm and bullying, absurdity, surrealism, age differences, class, rogues, gender, camp, social discomfort, race, stereotype parody, burlesque, accepting eccentricity, practical jokes Week 2: Black humour: The League of Gentlemen and Jam Week 3: Everyday life: Porridge and The IT Crowd Week 4: Satire 1: The Long 18th Century, Hogarth, Swift and Pope Week 5: Punch to Private Eye, Spitting Image and Yes, Minister Week 6: The sarcastic bully as antihero: Frankie Boyle, Flashman, Blackadder, and Fawlty Towers Week 7: Absurdity: From Lewis Carroll and Edward Lear to The Goons and The Mighty Boosh Week 8: Surrealism: Tristram Shandy, The Young Ones, and Luxury Comedy Week 9: Age difference: William, St. Trinians and Beano Week 10: Class and Culture: Oscar Wilde’s Ernest and P.G. Wodehouse’s Jeeves Week 11: Rogues: The English Rogue, The Pirates of Penzance, plus essay writing review. Week 12: Gender: Aphra Behn to The Vicar of Dibley Week 13: Camp and Innuendo: Carry On in the Cloisters